Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) is a world-leading organization supporting ocean discovery and innovation. ONC operates infrastructure that monitors the west and east coasts of Canada and the Arctic to continuously deliver data in real-time for scientific research, societal benefits and technological innovation. ONC infrastructure supports ocean research within and across disciplines ranging from geophysics, oceanography, marine acoustics, marine ecology, geochemistry to microbiology facilitated by the co-location, at every observatory site, of sensors serving multiple fields of research.
The observatories supply continuous power and Internet connectivity to a broad suite of scientific instruments located in coastal and deep-ocean environments. The strategically located instruments and big data management enable evidence-based decision-making on ocean management, public safety and environmental protection and address key scientific and policy issues. Along with national and local governments, ONC also works in collaboration with educators, students, communities, and Indigenous peoples on ocean monitoring initiatives along all three of Canada’s coasts.
ONC is a Major Science Initiative funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and is governed as a not-for-profit society that operates world-class innovative cabled observatories on behalf of the University of Victoria.
ONC’s Engagement & Knowledge Mobilization division provides a suite of services that leverages ONC’s
infrastructure, in-house expertise, scientific data, and network of partners to collaborate and prioritize the knowledge needs of end users of the facility. The division creates a bridge that connects data and knowledge to action and change, broadening the impact of ocean science to provide benefit to society and industry.
The Learning & Community Engagement department seeks to grow and support ONC’s community user base, focusing on Indigenous communities (including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit); formal and non-formal educators and students from K-12 through post-secondary; social scientists and community-engaged researchers; and participants in local monitoring programs. Collectively, the members of the department serve as ONC’s primary liaisons with these community users, working externally to grow collaborations, partnerships, research and monitoring programs, and learning initiatives and working internally with other operational teams in ONC to ensure that the needs of community users are met.
Mandate/Core Purpose Of Role
Reporting to the Director of Engagement & Knowledge Mobilization (Director), the Associate Director Learning & Community Engagement’s (ADLCE) mandate is to:
- Lead ONC’s organizational commitment to meaningful, ongoing engagement in Indigenous communities; engagement strategies developed by the Associate Director support the priorities identified by communities and their leaders;
- Oversee the creation and delivery of formal (K-12 through post-secondary) and non-formal educational resources for youth and adults that make use of the data from ONC observatories and raise awareness of the importance of the ocean in the global climate context;
- Working with external community partners, create opportunities to enhance capacity in Indigenous communities to engage in ocean science and monitoring;
- Act as a key liaison to the social science research community and support science-oriented community-engaged research;
- Build community-based monitoring programs which link large-scale climate data to local observations and instrument measurements; foster training, capacity building, and partnership initiatives which maximize Indigenous and coastal community participation in monitoring; and,
- Contribute to organizational strategic planning related to the department’s key user groups and collaborate with the Director to seek funding for specific initiatives.
Unusual Working Conditions
- Work may involve travel nationally and internationally to promote ONC, meet with participants, coordinate with related projects, and explore new areas of research enabled by ONC infrastructure. Destinations may also include small communities accessible only by boat or float plane on the coast and snowmobile in the Arctic.
- Travel schedules are often unpredictable due to changing weather conditions and community circumstances which necessitates a high degree of adaptability, stress management, and problem solving.
- This role operates in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities, tight deadlines, and a high standard of quality assurance, requiring strong judgment and effective crisis-management skills. The nature of the work may involve periods of elevated pressure. ONC supports employee well-being by providing a safe workplace and access to appropriate supports and resources.
